astonishment — great surprise or wonder
Part of speech: NOUN
Definition: great surprise or wonder
Pronunciation (IPA): /əˈstɑːnɪʃmənt/
Example Sentences
- Much to everyone's astonishment, the class clown got the highest score on the exam.
- She stared at her lottery ticket in astonishment.
- To his astonishment, his pet hamster had learned to open the cage door.
astonishment
NOUN[/əˈstɑːnɪʃmənt/]
great surprise or wonder
The little boy lifting the huge car filled the crowd with astonishment.
A(one) + STON(stone) + ISH(dish) — the strange dish with a single stone caused complete astonishment.
The elephant's vanishment filled the audience with astonishment.
Got the picture? Now let's practice.
🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
Derived from Latin attonare, meaning 'to strike with thunder' or 'to stun with a thunderbolt'. The word originally conveyed the sense of being shocked as if struck by lightning, expressing a profound and sudden surprise.
Breakdown
ad- (toward) + tonare (to thunder) + -ment (state or condition), literally 'the state of being thunderstruck' or 'struck toward thunder'.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“Much to everyone's astonishment, the class clown got the highest score on the exam.”
“She stared at her lottery ticket in astonishment.”
“To his astonishment, his pet hamster had learned to open the cage door.”
“The magician's trick filled the children with astonishment.”
📚Related Words
Want to master 27,000+ words?
Sign up free for flashcards & quizzes.